Tiltable headlight reflector



March 2 1926. 1,575,403

l.. R. YEAGER TILTABLE HEADLIGHT REFLECTOR Filed NOV. 19, 1923 INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Mar. 2, 1925'.

UNITED STATES 1,575,403 PATENT OFFICE.

LEO It. YEAGER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

TILTA'BLE I-IEADLIGHT `REFLECTOR.

Application mea november 19, 192s. serial No. 675,536.

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, Luo R. YEAGER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented Y certain new and useful Improvements in held in the adjusted position by a relatively low current. i

My invention primarily contemplates the provision of means for incorporating a current changing switch member with an electromagnetic unit used for effecting adjustment in such a. waythat the operation of the one becomes identified with the operation of the other withoutthe introduction ofany eXtra interconnecting parts or means. Furthermore, by my device, an armature of the electromagnetic unit may be made to act as one member of the current changing switch, while a means carried by a coil member of' the electromagnetic unit acts to cause electrical contacts to be made or broken'with'the armaturemember by a contacter member when the armature moves away from or to the coil member.

More specifically, my invention comprises the use of a relatively high current for tilting a reflector and a low current for maintaining the reflector' tilted, wherein, this relatively high current establishes a magnetic field of such intensity that the armature member preferably carried by the reflector is attracted to the coil member through a relatively long air gap and moves to it. Immediately before this movement is completed, a means carried bythe coil member ofthe electromagnetic unit, which in' the initial position permits lelectrical contact between the armature member and the contactor member, acts by the change in space relation of contacter member relative to the armature member. Therefore, the contacter member and the armature member no longer make electrical contact, but a new electrical circuitresults, wherein a relatively lower current traverses ,the coilv windings, producing a magnetic field of relatively low intensity. `Hor-vever, this relativelylower cur-` rent suffices to maintain the armature in the adjusted position, once this position is established.

Many Vother novel features of my invention will be 'apparent as this description progresses and be brought out in the claims appended hereto. The` various objects of my invention are preferably obtained by the structure illustrated in the drawings, `wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts and wherein Figure l is a side elevation, partly vin section, of a lamp structure showing` an adjustable reflector electromagnetically controlled as applied to automobile headlights, and a reflector controlmeans applied there to comprising a form of my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of my novel reflector control Vmeans showing a contacter member applied to an armature of an electromagnetic unit to form a member of a current changing switch.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic sketch show ing my invention applied to an electric circuit Jfor controlling an adjustable headlight reflector.` i

In the drawings and particularly with reference to Figure l my invention is shown The reflector 6 also carries upon its outer surface the armature member l0 and a hook orother suitable means 1l for receiving one Vend of a coil spring l2. The coil spring 12 is attached at its other end preferably to the stationary support of the electromagneticV lunit 1n such aymanner as to `hold the reflector 6 inthe normal'upward tilted posit-ion when the electromagnetic unit is not energized. l i

The contactor spring 13 is carried bythe armature member 10, and is electrically` insulated from the armature member 'l0 by an insulatingwasher 14 but makes contact with a contact point l5 of the armaturemember 10.

By reference to Figure 2 it will be yseen that I have shown the coil velement 9 and the arma-ture member 10 as in Figure 1 but somewhat enlarged to more clearly show the relation of parts when no current traverses the windings. rllhe dotted lines show the relation of parts when the electromagnetic unit is energized. Y v

rlhe electromagnetic unit which is relatively stationary consists -of the major coil 9 and a minor coil 17 as indicate-d in Figure 1 by the numeral 9. The major coil 9 is designed to attract the armature member 10, which aramature is secured to a tiltable reflector. lVhe-n the reflector is tilted by the energizing of the major coil 9, the armature moves toward such coil and the bent end of the contactor spring 13 on the armature will strike the ber washer 18 on the c o element 9 and thus separate the contact point 15 and the contact spring 13. The separating of the contact point 15 and the contact spring k18 will thus throw the major coll 9 in series with the minor coil 17.- The purs pose of throwing such minor coil in series with the major coil is to reduce the current during` the time that the reflector is tilted.

The electrical diagram, as shown in Figure 23 provides a circuit or connection of parts comprising a source of electrical energy 19 having one terminal grounded and the other terminal connectedy to a light switch 20. Traversing the switch 20 the current passes on through a lighting means 22, completing thel circuit by any suitable ground. y

Another branch circuit carries current from the battery 19 through the switch 21,

l the windings of the major coil 9, the switch 10 inside the lamp to any suitable ground. This switch 10 when open, throws the minor coil 17 in series with the major coil so that the current must traverse the windings of said minor coil and onto a suitable ground. It willbe obvious that the major coil may be thrown in series with the minor coil without in any way affecting the circuit through the lighting means.

In operation, it will be seen my invention so provides that whe-n the tilting switch 21 is closed current first traverses the major coil 9 of low resistance, allowing a relatively high current to flow which tiltsthe reflector. As thereflector tilts the armature member 10, carried by the reflector and carrying the contacter member 13, moves toward the coil 'member 9 of theelectromagnetic unit.

The bent end 'of said contactor member strikes the fiber washer 18 carried by the coil element 9l causing the contact point 15 and the contractor member 13 to separate. `This causes the minor coil 17 to be thrown in series with the major coil 9 thereby cutting the current down to a relatively low value by the resistance effect of said minor coil.

This relatively lower current however suffices to hold the reflector' in a tilted position.

It will be seen that I have provided a tiltable reflector unit such as may be easily inserted in any standard lamp structure havy -ing a removable reflector without in any way altering said lamp structure. Moreover, my tiltable reflector unit may be incorporated in the initial building of a lamp structure. In either case the reflector unit may be inserted in or removed from the lamp casing quickly, easily, and without the use of tools.v

l member 13 may be incorporated with either the armature member 10 or the vcoil member 9 of the electromagnetic unitso long as the operation of the armature member 10 is identified with the operation olthe coil member 9 for effecting adjustment of the reflector.

It will be also undenstood that the armature member 10 may be carried on the upper half of the reflector and the` coil member V9 positioned accordingly to operate therewith. In this case, the coil spring 12 would be so utilized as to hold the reflector in a downward tilted position and the action ofl the electromagnetic unit, when energized, would be totilt said reflector upward and hold it in the upward tilted position.y

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim is 1. In a lamp structure, a light projecting device adjustable to vary the direction of the beam of light, electromagnetic actuating means for adjusting said projecting device by a current of one value and for maintaining adjusted position by a current of a lower value, -and means connected to the light projectingdevice and brought into contact with a part of the electromagnetic actuating means for breaking the high current circuit and completing the low current circuit.

2. A headlight comprising a casing, a shiftable reflectorV mounted within said casing, light creating means having a current circuit, electromagnetic means for shifting said reflector, a separate current circuit for said electromagnetic actuating means, and means cooperating with the electromagnetic means and operative automatically to throw a resistance in series with said actuating-` current upon the shifting` of the'reflector.

3. In a lamp, the combination with ,a casing, of a reflector pivotally mounted therein, an electromagnet having two coils and means for causing currentto pass thru one coil to what adjust the reflector and means for causing the current to pass thru both coils for maintaining the reflector in adjusted position.

l. In a lamp structure having a movable reflector, an electromagnetic unit for operating said reflector having a major and minor coil, and a switch member actuated by the action of said electromagnetic unit, said switch being adjusted to direct the electrical circuit through the major coil of the electromagnetic unit in one position and through the major coil and the minor coil in series in another position.

5. In combination with a light structure having a movable reflector, an electromagnetic means for moving said reflector, a source of electrical energy for operating said electromagnetic means, and an armature carried by the reflector and acting as one member of a current changing switch, said armature being brought into contact with a part of the electromagnetic means for throwing a resistance in series With the actuating current upon the movement of the reflector.

6. In combination with a light structureV having a movable reflector, a light source and a current circuit for said source, an electrical means for moving the reflector, a; second current circuit for operating said electrical means, an armature member connected to said reflector, and means operable by the movement of the armature Within the lamp structure whereby a resistance is placed in series in the second circuit.

In testimony whereof I hereby affix my signature. Y i

LEO n YEAGER. 

